Album Description
Expanded and Remastered, features the original double-album’s 15 jazzy pop tracks, including the hits ‘(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long,’ ‘Wishing You Were Here’ and ‘Call On Me.’ Also includes the bonus track ‘Byblos’ (rehearsal version). Rhino. 2002…. More >>
March 11th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Well, this is where Chicago’s style really began to enter into an obvious commercial direction, which is unfortunate because previously the band had something *awesome* going as far as brassy instrumental music combined with rock music goes. Now it’s just… nice music.
Alright, the album isn’t without its faults obviously, but there’s some other things that kind of bother me. While the opening song resembles Santana, hearing Chicago attempt the same kind of music Santana popularized is just weird. It’s actually a pretty decent song and I’m not really complaining about it, I just don’t think it was totally appropriate for Chicago to attempt something like this.
After the opening track, the album shifts into a bunch of instrumental brass jams, some of which I could have sworn came from Chicago’s fifth album. I will give the band credit here though- each instrumental jam sounds different from the other one, and sets an entirely different mood. This is a pretty welcoming kind of experimentation as far as I’m concerned. The only complaint is how most of these jams lack any kind of serious punch to really make them stand alongside the instrumental jams from the previous Chicago albums. But as far as experimenting goes, yeah, these are some pretty good jams.
“Happy Man” sounds WAY too commercial and perfectly indicates the direction Chicago was going for. I think I’ve heard this song a long time ago… in a supermarket. I never heard any Chicago song from the previous albums in a grocery store.
“I’ve Been Searchin’ So Long” may have been the big hit, but it’s so sappy and such a tender ballad that, well, it reminds me of bankteller music, haha. It’s not a BAD song, it’s just… a Bee Gees copycat at best. The same can be said for “Wishing You Were Here”, but at least this song has a really good verse melody. I forgot all about “Call On Me”. You’ll probably recognize this song from the numerous play it got back in the day. A decent song.
Some of the other songs on the second half of the album are pretty decent too. At least the vocal melodies are really good, but overall the album, despite Chicago charging into a subtle creative groove temporarily, is most definitely not in the same category as the previous albums.
Rating: 3 / 5
March 11th, 2010 at 10:49 am
It was just as I thought it would be. Delivery of the product was flawless and the product was outstanding.
Rating: 5 / 5
March 11th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
In general, Chicago became more commercial as they went along. By the mid 1970s, they were mainly a singles band.
But you would not spot the trend listening to this album. It opens with an excellent side-long jam which at times reminds me of Santana’s jazzier excursions around this time.
There is also fantastic, sophistcated pop, such as “Happy Man,” and “Wishing You Were Here.” Bossa nova, spanish guitar and layered writing and production put this work on the top scale of Top 40 70s pop.
James Gurrcio’s production is even tighter here. He is smart enough to seperate the pop from the jazz, and this worked better when this was a doulbe LP set. The genre leaping that marred some of those early Chicago double sets is cut away here, leaving this a tight, coharent yet diverse album–probably Chicago’s last stab at early 1970s progressiveism before they became a singles unit.
Rating: 4 / 5
March 11th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Chicago were not only one of the most ambitious pop bands of the 70′s but one of the buisiests. Between 1969 and this point the band had manage to tour almost consistantly but still manage to record five albums worth of innovative studio material.And guess what:1974 rolls around and the band is dropping 15 more cuts,a whole other double albums worth when they’d already made three double sets in the past.Even so it was all to their advantage. This is easily one of the most artistically satisfying and musicianly album Chicago has made,not to mention especially rhythmic.The first five tunes,which would take up one old vinyl album find the guys all pulling their songwriting pooling together for what is basically one of the finest funk-jazz records from this era.The afro-cuban percussion and cascading horns of “Prelude To Aire” and “Aire” really put this in the vanguard of some of the jazz/funk/rock free-for-alls since the earliest days of the band.The intro to “Devil’s Sweet” alone,with Walter Parazaider’s flighty sax solo over those great rolling drums really bring out the sense of “darkness and light” spirituality of the song,which actually gets pretty dark from there on in and keeps it up for ten minutes.”Italian From New York”,named after a funny story involving percussionist Laudir DeOliveiar features some spacy (some harsher reviewersmight see them as gimmicky) electronics over this really tight jazz-funk rhythm.”Hanky Panky” is about the perfect vehicle for Walter Parazaider,Lee Longhanne and James Pankov a chance to blow away on their horns in this swinging jazz number.The peppy pop of Peter Cetera’s “Happy Man” and Terry Kath’s poetic “Song Of The Evergreens” showcase how much about vocal harmonies and complex pop arrangements they’d learned from Brian Wilson by touring with The Beach Boys;there’s still that jazzy touch there with Robert Lamm’s Fender Rhodes coming in and out. The hit “(I’ve Been) Searching So Long” is one of Pankow’s great reflective ballads,very jazzy and with some excellent lyrics and that extends into “Mongonucleosis”,this great jazzy caribbean street parade tunes with plenty of fanfare and party shouting from the players;you can tell everyone involved was having a blast on this one.”Bydlos”,another great Kath tune and sadly no-hit single that turns out to be one of Chicago’s great unsung tunes,no pun intended.Either way again it has a great rhythm.”Wishing You Were Here”….well I’ve heard it a million times but hearing it in the album contexts really brings out so much more in it;one of the reason I go more for original albums rather then compilations or boxed sets,especially during this era of music.My favorite hit song here has to be “Call On Me”-it just has everything that makes this album and Chicago special;the jazziness,popcraft and the great Brazillian percussion.It’s one of the favorite hits they’ve done in my book.The album ends with two phenomenal funk jams in “Woman Don’t Want To Love Me”,with it’s great wah-wah intro and Robert Lamm’s rocking “Skinny Boy” which ended up being the title of his first solo album coming the next year. Considering the mid 70′s was also the salad days of EWF,War,Mandrill,Santana and any of the genre busting,horn packed but commercially friendly bands we all remember fondly Chicago’s music on this album and during this time was very friendly to the “united funk” era in which funk,rock,jazz,pop and different latin American styles could all coexist AND be popular at the same time. And considering how Chicago learned and adapted so much from this era of music.Not only that but the fact these guys can leave the self indulgence out of their music and create something both ambitious AS WELL as warm and welcoming. This represents one of Chicago’s very greatest musical achievments and you’ll find yourself all the happier for having heard it!
Rating: 5 / 5
March 11th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
I wasn’t too famaliar with Chicago, so i decided to listen to this album randomly. I thought they were pretty decent. I thought it was intersting how they tried to mix jazz in with rock. The overall mood of the album was enjoyable, but it was a tad bit outdated for me. I think this is a creative band that doesn’t have as big of a name as the rolling stones or beatles, but still shouldn’t get overlooked. If you a fan of classic rock or jazz music, Then i would look into buying this!
Rating: 4 / 5
March 11th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
[...] The hit â??(I’ve Been) Searching So Longâ? is one of Pankow’s great reflective ballads,very jazzy and with some excellent lyrics and that extends into â??Mongonucleosisâ?,this great jazzy caribbean street parade tunes with plenty of fanfare and party … The album ends with two phenomenal funk jams in â?? Woman Don’t Want To Love Meâ?,with it’s great wah-wah intro and Robert Lamm’s rocking â??Skinny Boyâ? which ended up being the title of his first solo album coming the next year. …Page 2 [...]